Convertible cushioned and non-cushioned seat.



H. G. BARRETT &: L. S. ALTER.

CONVERTIBLE OUSHIONED AND NON-GUSHIONED SEAT.

APPLIOATTON FILED MAY 23, 1905.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD G. BARRETT AND LUlE S. ALTER, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS; SAID ALTER ASSIGNOR OF. ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO JOHN HOWARD MCELROY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE CUSIIIONED AND NON-CUSHIONED SEAT.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HAROLD G. BARRETT and LUTE S. ALTER, citizens of the United States, both of Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Cushioned and Non-Cushioned Seats; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,-and to the letters of ref erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel cushion seat and mounting therefor adaptable for use on the amphitheater-like seats found in amusement parks and like places, and so arranged as to provide individual cushion seats to be used at the pleasure of the patrons instead of the hard board seats afforded by such seat structures.

It has heretofore been a common practice to provide the patrons of an amusement park, as a base-ball park, and especially those occu ying the seats commonly known as b eachers, with individual cushions which are supplied at a small remuneration to cover the expense of distributing and collecting the same. This practice is open to the objection that said cushions are entirely free from or unattached to the permanent seat structure, and the cushions often become scattered or misplaced, and are often thrown entirely away from the seat structure by irresponsible and enthusiastic patrons when leavmg the seats, thereby not only annoying other patrons but rendering the collection of the cushions expensive.

The main or principal object of our invention is to provide a convertible cushioned seat for the purpose described, which is readily changeable on the permanent seat structure, being so constructed that when out of its operative arrangement, it cannot be used by the patron, and the permanent structure is only available for its usual or intended use as an uncushioned seat. A single or individual cushioned seat is provided for each patron, and is separately arranged in and out of its 0 erative position, and the construction and arrangement are such that the use of a cushioned seat by one patron does not in any wise interfere with the usual use of the permanent seats, without exposing the cushions, by an adjacent or neighbor- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1905.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 261,842.

ing patron. The said cushioned seats and their mountings are connected with the permanent seat structure by means preventing detachment of the same from the permanent seat structure. In some instances, temporary seat cushions will be locked in their inoperative arrangements, or in the position which they assume when not in use, by suitable locking mechanism, preferably coincontrolled, which is released to permit the use of the cushion, through the medium of a coin inserted into said coin-controlled mechanism.

Our invention is capable of assuming many and varied forms, to the end that the cushioned seat may perform the functions hereinbefore set forth. In the accompany ing description, a preferred type is described, one embracing a cushioned seat which is reversible on its support to alternately present a cushioned and hard-surface seat, although it will be apparent, however, that other forms than the one shown may be employed without departing from the spirit of our invention.

To illustrate our invention, we have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a stepped or amphitheater seat structure, showing one form of our improved cushioned seat applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a single seat, illustrating one of our improved cushioned seats in its operative position, and at one side thereof a frame constituting the immediate support for an adjacent cushioned seat.

. AA designate the horizontal members of a familiar form of amphitheater seat struc ture, and AA the risers thereof.

BB designates, as a whole, our improved cushioned seat, shown in operative position in Fig. 2, and out of or being shifted into operative position, in Fig. 1. Said cush ioned seats each comprise a cushion l), and associated therewith, preferably at its reverse side, a flat board I), and a surrounding frame I), which is made of a size to receive the cushioned part of the seat, and to which frame said back and cushion are attached in any suitable manner. By operative posi tion is meant the position in which the cushions 5 are available for use. hen the cushthe X ions are out of operative position, the backions b, the rim of the seat frame b fitting on boards I) face upwardly and constitute a I the surrounding members of the intermediate frames reversed, the back-boards I) fit upon the smooth seat corresponding to the usual board seat of the part A of the permanent seat structure. preferably placed so closely together as 'to afford a practically continuous seating surface on the horizontal parts A of the seat strucl the horizontal permanent seat structure A ture.

The seat members B are so constructed and connected with the permanent seat structure, preferably by means permitting the seat members to bereversed, as to bring either the cushion b or the hard seat 1) in position to be sat upon. The means herein shown for this purpose consists of a pair of links 0 for each seat member, one at each side thereof. Said links are hinged at their rear ends to studs 0 extending laterally from the seat frame 5 and are hinged at their forward ends to studs 0 fixed in lugs C located at the front of the horizontal parts A of the seat structure and between the seat members. A single lug C located between two adjacent reversible seat members, carries the lug c for the swinging links of adjacent seat members, and the adjacent seat members are spaced only so far apart .as required to provide room for said swinging links.

The manner of reversing the seat members B is clearly illustrated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. W'hen a seat member is to be reversed, it is grasped at one margin and swung upwardly towards a vertical position about the hinges or pivots of the links C until the links are raised sufficiently to per mit the lower edge of the seat member to swing free of the seat member support. The swinging movement of the seat member is continued forwardly and downwardly until the seat is completely reversed. During such operation the links have been swinging upwardly and their direction of move ment reversed and then swung downwardly to their horizontal positions, while the face of the seat member that formerly directed upwardly faces downwardly upon the comp etion of the reversing movement. In Fig. 1 the dotted lines indicate the beginning of the reversing movement of the lower seat to turn the cushion upwardly, While in full lines is shown the position of the second seat after it has passed the vertical and is being swung down upon its support to face the cushion upwardly.

The seat members B do not rest directly upon the permanent horizontal parts A of the seat structure, but an important feature of our invention consists in placing each seat member upon an open intermediate frame D, which, in turn, is supported directly upon the ermanent seats A of the seat structure an is rigidly secured thereto. The said intermediate frames D are pro- Vided with openings d that receive the cush- The individual seat members are i members of said intermediate frame.

D. When the seat member is The members of said frame D are of sufiiclent thickness to hold the cushioned face off of Wh n the frame is reversed, with the cushion downwardly. This frame construction is essential,inasmuch as 1t holds the cushioned face of the seat member a distance away from the seat of the permanent sea-t structure A, and thereby prevents the same from coming in contact with water which may flow upon or over the seat Aof the permanent structure during the storms that are bound to occur. The legs .10 carrying the studs for the swinging connecting links O preferably are formed on and rise from the intermediate frames D. Preferably, the frames D are made in pairs or other multiples. That is to say, a single frame may embrace two or more open recesses to receive the cushioned members of the reversible seat.

Any suitable form of locking mechanism may be employed for locking the seat memhere with their cushions out of operative position. We have herein conveniently illustrated a simple form .of coin-controlled device, which, for this purpose, is arranged as follows: E designates a casing which is fastened to the front margin .of' the frame 6 of the seat member, and E a casing attached to the permanent seat structure in position to register with the casing E, the bottom Wall of the former fitting flat on the top wall of the latter. A sliding money box or drawer E is contained in the lower partof the casing E. Any suitable cooperating locking connections are placed in the casings E and E, so that they can be unlocked by a .coin or an authorized attendant.

It will be observed that the construction shown constitutes convertible cushioned or plain seats so constructed that when the cushioned member is out of its operative position, the non-cushioned seat :or surface is presented for use, and the cushioned member isentirely out of the way of the user, and is entirely protected from the weather.

*VVhile we have shown and described our invention as embodied in the form which we at present consider best adapted to carry out its pur oses, it will be understood that it is capabe of modifications, and that we do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims eXce t as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a seat supporting frame adapted to rest upon and be secured to a bleacher board, of a plain seat and a cushioned seat supported by said frame, and means for alternately bringing said seats into use, the device being so constructed and organized that the board upon which it is secured forms the bottom, the frame the sides, and the plain seat the top of a closed casing to protect the cushioned seat from the elements when it is not in use.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a seat supporting frame adapted to rest upon and be secured to a bleacher board,,of a plain seat and a cushioned seat supported by said frame, and

means for alternately bringing said seats into use, the device being so constructed and organized that the board upon which it is secured forms the bottom, the frame the sides, and the plain seat the top of a closed casing to protect the cushioned seat from the elements when it is not in use and hold the cushion out of contact with the board. In testimony, that We claim the foregoing as our invention we ai'lix our signatures in presence of two witnesses, this 20 day of May A. D. 1905.

HAROLD G. BARRETT. LUTE S. ALTER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, E R. WILKINS. 

